Search - Therion :: Gothic Kabbalah

Not the Therion we Know and Love but Still Good

Mr D. | Cave Creek, Az United States | 02/15/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I havn't listened to Gothic Kabbalah closely, but I have played it constantly for the last three days, while I work. This is what I have observed and determined.



Gothic Kabbalah is Therion's second consecutive double disc album. It has a total playing time of a little over eighty-three minutes, a good value for the money. Therion's musical style on this disc is different than all previous releases. Not better, not worse, just different. I hesitate to say it's evolving at this point, but the music as a whole seems to be leaner, more accessible, more mainstream. I don't mean it's headed for top-forty land. I mean, that top forty aficionados would find Gothic Karbbalah more palatable than say, Theli of Volvin.



The bombast of the music was reduced as was the choir and orchestral work, if indeed an orchestra was used. In this day and age it's hard to tell. There is a greater emphasis female lead singer(s). Much more so than previously, probably in response to the femme metal phenomenon that is sweeping Europe, with groups like Nightwish, Within Temptation, Lacuna Coil and Epica to name a few. Personally, I like that. As a matter of fact, I like the whole album, but I don't love it!



Of the fifteen tracks on Gothic Kabbalah, only four tracks, ever caught my attention, enough to make me wonder what track it was and what the name was. I would say that these four songs, which consistently garnered my attention are, without a doubt five star songs. Upon further scrutiny there may be more but I doubt it. The following five songs are the highlight of the album:



* `The Falling Stone' is a variable tempo, but mostly medium fast rock number, with a driving beat and a lady lead singer. It features an interesting staggered lead in and some effective choir work in the end.

* `T of - The Trinity' starts really fast, with some wild guitar playing in the beginning ant throughout. Again it's a variable speed song, which both male and female solos stand out among heavy choir singing. This song is a grabber. Not only my favorite song on the album but one of Therion's best songs on any album.

* `Der Mitternachtslowe' Another song with a female lead, this time with male backing vocals. Der Mitternachtslowe' features a chugging medium tempo rhythm, with more backing vocals than lead. I particularly like the way the girl singer's vocal is doubled up for the chorus.

* `Trul' The strange thing about this song is I can't get Blind Guardian out of my head when I hear Trul. The melody, arrangement and style, even down to the flute, reminds me of Hansi Kersch and company.





Conclusion



Add a couple other near five star songs like the fourteen minute Adulruna Rediviva and Son of the Stabes of Time, throw in a eight other three and four star songs and you have a nice but not great Therion album."

A New Direction

Spazmonkey | 02/06/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Well after listening to this album constantly for over a year I'll go back and edit my original review (still pretty much the same)...



All Therion albums are supposed to sound different. This one did a good job of that. It sounds different than the other albums but still has that "therion" sound. Unlike past albums which were 90% Christopher Johnson (Therion lead song writer), the songs on this album are written by all the different band members (including a few by Johnson). Being that this was written by band members could possibly explain why it is a little more mainstream sounding with less classical influence. Though the band members did their best to keep the song compositions very high brow and complex and did a good job. The lyrics are written by the same guy as always.



It is more mainstream than any other Therion album in that it isn't real heavy (well a few heavy songs, but also quite a few almost radio friendly songs). The choirs are small. It isn't heavily operatic. Some Opera vocals are used in places and more traditional rock vocals used at other parts. It is still "symphonic" but there is far less symphony than other albums and instead of using a symphony they used keybaords, a guest flute player and a few VSL recordings (basically symphony sound clips of violens and such).



At the same time it is not a mainstream album. The compositions are fairly complex. Overall this album is more or less a progressive rock/progressive metal side of Therion. Rather than being guitar driven as most Therion albums are it is more balanced. You have bass solos, drum solos, vocal solos, and guitar solos- no one instrument really taking the dominant role. The song writing in places is brilliant. The band is top notch. The guitar solos are short but amazing on here. Probably one of the biggest things that stands out to me on this album is the production is world class. Just the recording quality and how refined everything is. Therion isn't a commercial band they (or should I say Christopher Johnson as the band pretty much is his solo project and whatever band members/singers of the month he decides to have work with him) well anyway they came from the bottom up. In past albums it seems they spent all their money on symphonies and choirs and on some of the older albums you have a very underground recording quality that is a bit rough on the edges. Not this album. It's probably produced better than a Metallica or Ozzy album.



This album is part of a quadrology, starting with Lemuria/sirius b and ending (supposedly) with the next album Therion will release. Thus three songs on this album sound different than the other songs. The first, second and last song. The first song is pretty much in the style of Lemuria/Sirius b, the second song is just different, and the last song is supposed to be in a similiar style to what the next album will be like.



Der Mitternacthtslowe: an awsome guitar intro, goes into a song sounding like it came straight from the Lemuri/sirius b recording sessions. Has heavy trumphets. A good song, pretty standard Therion, nothing remarckable.



Gothic Kabbalah: most reviewers give this song high ratings. at first I didn't like it. Then as I got used to it, I've grown to like it. It sounds like something straight from the late seventies or early eighties. It has an eighties metal guitar riff, played with seventies folk rock vocals and some Jethro Tull type flute playing which is rather catchy and enjoyable. Definately a little different from what you usually expect from Therion.



Perrenial Sophia: Matts levens gives an incredible deep bass singing in compliments with a female soprano. Very catchy lyrics, a beatiful melody and a beautiful guitar solo. One of the many favorites on the album. This song easily could be a hit on the radio.



Wisdom and the Cage: a rather heavy song with amazing metal style singing by Snowy Shaw in the beggining gives way to an incredible soft and melodic guitar solo at the end.



Sons of the Staves of Time: probably the most popular song on the whole album. Very classic Therion. A Soprano singing in classical opera stylings opens up the song, then it goes into a heavy almost Iron Maiden style song, the metal singing is complimented by a chorus in the background and the soprano does another solo in the middle. If any song were going to get radio airplay on this album it would probably be this one, its very catchy, powerful, and a song easily enjoyed.



Tuna 1613: a combination of male opera singing along with the standard metal singing. This is one of the "power metal" style songs. Very well done.



Trul: an ok song. somewhat bland, rather normal female vocals (no opera), decent guitar riffs etc.



Close up the Streams: neat progressive song. gives way to syphony in parts with extremely catchy layering of choir and opera vocals towards the end.



Wand of Abaris: sounds like a song that could have been written during Theli. Heavy middle eastern elements, strange ecclectic vocals, and a slow but incredible guitar solo complimented by keyboards towards the middle



Three Treasures: decent progressive rock song.



Path to Arcady: has some opera singing (male and female), a catchy, progressive style song.



TOF- the trinity- incredible power metal song.



Chain of Minerva- one of my personal favorites. It is primarily driven by a powerful bass riff, it has some very eccelctic progressive style vocals (not operatic, but well done), towards the end a choir joins in.



Aldruna Rediviva: the crowning achievment of this album. A fifteen minute song that will keep you captivated for every second of it. It is a symphonic rock epic similiar to Via Nokturna. Rather hard to describe. Heavily blends classical elements and rock elments, but has very little syphony in it (some though). In some parts it goes into solo rythem guitar, other parts it goes silent then come in some soft organ playing and acoustic guitars, then returning to the main theme. Strong operatic singing by male vocalists.





"

WHAT HAPPENED!?!

Eric S. Bailey | 06/25/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Maybe my standards have gotten too high after so many excellent CD's released by THERION. If this was a new band, I'd probably say it was pretty good as a first effort --- But not for THERION! I'll have to say that I was really disappointed with Gothic Kaballah. Everything that makes THERION stand out and above other bands is missing. The heavy guitars mixed with the backing orchestra is not here. The subtle (haunting) female singing has been replaced by more commercial lead female singing. The rythmic crunching of the bass guitar is gone. There are many different instruments used throughout the music, but without the full orchestra to back it up, it just sounds like they tried throw as many instuments as they could onto one CD. I guess if this is the worst that THERION puts out, then it's not too bad .......... It's just that they've done so much better before. I just hope that they get back to their roots in the future and don't continue in this direction. There are more than enough radio-friendly female-fronted bands out there right now. Let's hope that THERION doesn't fall into the same cookie-cutter frame that everyone else seems to be rushing into. I'm not dissing THERION for this CD, but it's their own fault that I'm so critical. Like I said before, maybe my standards are just too high based on everything that they put out before Gothic Kaballah."